


Persistence of the Heart

by SoVeryAverageMe



Series: muses (a hq!! rewatch project) [13]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Established Relationship, Kozume Kenma & Kuroo Tetsurou Friendship, M/M, Mentioned Kageyama Tobio, Nervous Hinata Shouyou, S01E13: Rival
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:07:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25112854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoVeryAverageMe/pseuds/SoVeryAverageMe
Summary: Hinata and Kenma have been dating for over 10 months when hefinallygets the chance to meet Kuroo.He can't help but be a little bit nervous about meeting one of the most important people in Kenma's life (and the self-proclaimed godfather of their cat).
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou & Kuroo Tetsurou, Hinata Shouyou/Kozume Kenma
Series: muses (a hq!! rewatch project) [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1592755
Comments: 4
Kudos: 106





	Persistence of the Heart

**Author's Note:**

> I think that this is my first time writing KenHina? I forgot how much I love the two of them interacting! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

The keys clinked the sides of the bowl when Hinata threw them in. He hung his coat up on the hooks by the door and pulled his shoes off, shoving them on top of the pile in the corner. 

“I’m home!” he called into the apartment. The television was on in the living room, and he could hear the sounds of the latest fighting game being played. Hinata ducked his head into the fridge, grabbing some leftovers to reheat in the microwave. Whistling to himself, he grabbed a pair of chopsticks from the drawer and pulled the hot tupperware out. Almost dropping the dish, he managed to slip an oven mitt under it before it clattered onto the countertop. 

Hinata slipped into the living room, kissing Kenma on the top of his head before making his way around the couch. Frankie was licking her paws under the table, but he gently moved her out of the way to be able to sit down. He glanced at Kenma, flashing him a bright smile before digging into his food. 

“Hard day?” Kenma asked, playfully knocking Hinata’s shoulder with his foot. 

“No more than usual,” he replied. “Are you still trying to get to the platinum tier?” 

“Mhmm.” Kenma’s fingers blitzed across the controller, inputting a complicated combo attack. “I should have it if I place well in the next few matches.” 

The two fell into silence after that. Hinata picked up his bowl from the table, leaning back against the couch to eat so that he could see the screen better. Once he finished dinner, he placed his dish in the sink, before sitting on the other side of the couch. He pulled his legs up to cross them, and Kenma’s feet slid under his thighs.

“Woo!” He pumped his fists in the air, celebrating with Kenma when the Rank Up animation played on the screen. Once they settled back down, he expected Kenma to start up another match, but instead he put the controller on the table and scooted closer to Hinata.

“Hey Shouyou?” Kenma fiddled with his hands, wringing them back and forth. 

Hinata turned to face him, gently grabbing his hands and softly rubbing the back of them with his thumbs. “What’s up, Ken? You seem nervous.”

“You know my friend, Kuroo?”

Hinata knew exactly three things about Kuroo Tetsurou. _One:_ He named their cat. (Frankie was technically Kenma’s cat first, but Hinata had claimed shared ownership after she’d destroyed his best pair of volleyball shoes). _Two:_ He had been stuck in Europe on a very prestigious chemistry apprenticeship for the entirety of Kenma and Hinata’s ten month relationship. And, _three:_ He was, without a doubt, the most important person in Kenma’s life. 

“You mean the same Kuroo who’s the self-proclaimed godfather of Frankie? The one that calls you every Saturday at 3PM without fail?” Hinata flashed a smile, suppressing his nerves. 

Kenma scoffed. “Yeah, that nerd is one and the same.”

“How’s he doing?“ He squeezed Kenma’s hands. ”Still taking Europe by storm?” 

“Well, actually…” Hinata felt his stomach sink. “He’s back in Japan for a couple of days, and I thought we could invite him to dinner.” 

“Sure… yeah…” Now he was the one wringing his hands. “When?” 

“Um,” Kenma swallowed. “This Friday night.” 

At that moment, Hinata decided that he knew one more thing about Kuroo Tetsurou. _Four:_ He was entirely and absolutely intimidating in the fact that Kuroo had the power to make or break his relationship with Kenma. 

His boyfriend understood his silence better than anyone. “You don’t have to, Shouyou. I know it’s short notice, but he’s only in town for a couple of days. I can just meet him at an izakaya or something.” 

“No, Kenma.” Hinata shook his head. “He’s your best friend. Of course, I’ll meet him. I’d love to!” He tried to put as much excitement as he could into his voice, suppressing his nerves. “Let me know his favorite foods, and we can make something special. I’m sure he misses authentic Japanese food.” 

“Thank you, Sho.” Kenma leaned over to lightly peck Hinata on the lips, and he felt himself blush. “I’m excited to finally have my two favorite people in the same room.” 

“Of course. I really am excited to meet him,” Hinata said, before changing the subject, “Why don’t you load up multiplayer, and we’ll play a few matches against each other!” 

“You hate playing this with me because you get so excited that you forget to push the buttons.” 

“Yeah,” Hinata bit his lips, “but I love you.”

Kenma looked away, shaking his head, but Hinata could see the way his lips curled up into a smile and a light smattering of pink dusted his cheeks. “Why don’t we play that co-op cooking game we both like, instead?” 

Hinata tackled him across the couch, kissing Kenma on the tip of his nose, while he made noises of mock protest in response. “You’re the best!”

* * *

He looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, running a hand through his hair and flattening the front of his shirt. Swallowing down his nerves, he braced his hands on the sink, taking a deep breath in. 

There was a knock on the door, jolting Hinata out of his thoughts. “You okay, Shouyou?” 

“Yeah, I’ll be out in a minute.” He softly jumped up and down to try to shake out the last of his nerves. “Just want to make sure I didn’t have a stain on my shirt.” 

“Okay. Kuroo texted me, and he’s five minutes away.” He waited 30 seconds after Kenma’s footsteps padded down the hall, before opening the door and heading toward the kitchen. Pausing at the doorway, he stared as Kenma moved around the kitchen. His hair pulled into a loose bun, perfectly framing his face. While Hinata had put a lot of thought in deciding what to wear, his boyfriend looked effortlessly casual in his favorite sweatshirt and snug fitting jeans. 

Kenma peeked over his shoulder while he flipped the mackerel in the fish grill. “You just going to stare at me all night?” 

Hinata blushed, feeling a little bit embarrassed to be caught staring, but mostly in awe that he got to share these small domestic moments with Kenma. “You just look really happy tonight.” 

He closed the fish grill, and walked over to Hinata. “And, you look like a sack of nerves.” Kenma reached for his shoulders, rubbing up and down his arms. “You get along with everyone. You’re going to love Kuroo.” 

The buzzer rang, and Kenma squeezed his shoulders one last time before going to answer it. He heard the two of them greet each other at the door, sharing small talk before Kuroo was invited in.

“Yeah,” Hinata muttered under his breath, pasting a bright smile on his face. “But will Kuroo like me?” 

“You must be Hinata!” He had seen photos of Kenma and Kuroo together, but none of them seemed to accurately portray how tall the other man was, or how his hair seemed to defy gravity. “I’ve heard so much about you from Kenma.” 

“Only good things, I hope.” Hinata awkwardly stuck his hand out, which was reciprocated by a firm handshake. He tried to think of something to say, but his ability to talk incessantly had somehow all but disappeared. 

“Hey,” Kenma called out, thankfully breaking their uncomfortable eye contact. “We have a couple more minutes until the fish is done, but why don’t we bring the rest of these plates to the living room.”

Once the plates were set out on the living room table, Hinata sat in front of the television, while Kuroo was across from him. Kenma had taken the shorter side of the table, mediating between the two of them. Frankie had chosen Kuroo, running straight into his lap when he sat down, and he couldn’t help but feel a little betrayed. 

Hinata nursed his drink, staying quiet while Kenma asked about Kuroo’s recent adventures in Europe. The three of them settled into a semi-comfortable conversation, with Hinata filling in details of their lives in Tokyo, while Kuroo shared stories of their middle and high school years. 

Halfway through a conversation about battle royale video games, Kenma’s phone buzzed. “That’ll be the timer for the fish,” he said, getting up to check on it. 

“Do you need any help?” Hinata resisted the urge to jump up to his feet regardless of the answer. 

“Nah.” He was already halfway through the doorway. “I can grab it myself.” 

All of a sudden, the two of them had been left alone, without the one person who connected them. Hinata didn’t know what to talk about that didn’t revolve around their relationships with Kenma.

Kuroo leaned back, taking a sip of his drink. “So, how did you and Kenma start dating?” 

“What?” Hinata swallowed.

“Well,” he shrugged. “I’ve heard Kenma’s side of the story, of course, but I’d like to hear it from you.” 

“Uh, I saw that he had posted a listing for a roommate,” Hinata fumbled,”On the, um, internet.” 

“Yeah, we lived together until my apprenticeship forced me abroad,” Kuroo replied, clearly trying to hold back a laugh. 

“I was moving down from Miyagi after high school, and well, I guess we just clicked.” He helplessly smiled at the memories of the early days of their relationship. “It took us a little while to get used to each other, but we just drifted closer and closer until… well, we were practically dating without having ever made it official.” 

“You really love him, don’t you?” Kuroo had an amused smile on his face.

“Kenma’s amazing,” he blurted out, flushing with embarrassment. Trying to recover and sound more normal, he continued, “I come from a small town in Miyagi. I seriously don’t know how I would have survived the transition to Tokyo without him.” 

“Good,” he said before falling silent.

Hinata shook his head in confusion. “Aren’t you going to give me the shovel talk?”

“Do I have a reason to?” Kuroo asked, while petting Frankie, who was pawing at his sweater, desperate for attention.

“No!” He waved his hands in the air. “No, of course not. But… you’re his best friend. I just thought it came with the territory.” 

“Look,” Kuroo scoffed, “If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Kenma over the years, it’s that once he sets his mind to something, then there’s no changing it. Plus, any shovel talk that I’d give would pale in comparison to the ones you’ve probably already received from Yaku and Akaashi.” 

Hinata shuddered at the memory of them, remembering the very graphic details that both men had gone into if he ever intentionally hurt Kenma. “Yeah, theirs were… imaginative, to say the least.” 

“Would you believe me if I said that they’ve actually mellowed out since high school?” 

“Somehow, that’s even more terrifying,” Hinata laughed, breaking into his first genuine grin of the evening.

Any lingering tension in the room was finally broken. Hinata leaned forward on his elbows, giving Kuroo an inquisitive look, “So, what’s the story behind Frankie's name?” 

* * *

He hummed to himself while washing dishes after Kuroo had left for the night.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Kenma asked, wrapping his arms around Hinata’s waist and putting his chin on the top of his head. 

“No.” It felt like the weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he relaxed into Kenma’s grip. “I really liked him. I can see why the two of you have been friends for so long.”

Kenma laughed, causing Hinata to drop a plate and splash himself with soapy water. “Hey! Careful, this is my lucky shirt.” He did his best to dry himself off with a towel.

“Liar. You don’t have a lucky shirt.” 

“After tonight, I do,” Hinata replied, spinning around to capture Kenma in his arms. “After all, I couldn’t have imagined dinner going any better.” 

Kenma kissed the top of his head, laughing into his hair. “You’re such a dork.” 

“Ah, yes.” He shrugged. “But I’m your dork.” Hinata let go of Kenma to finish cleaning the dishes. “By the way, Kageyama texted me this afternoon.” 

“Mhmm?” Kenma was placing the leftovers in the fridge. “How’s he doing? Is his team still on a winning streak?” 

“Actually…” Hinata placed the final dish in the drying rack and leaned against the counter. “They’ve got a week off in between games coming up.” The fridge closed, and Kenma turned to look at him with a question in his eyes. “I know you had that conference the last time he was in town, but he’s getting together a pick-up game and my team really needs a setter.” 

“Shouyou,” he replied, walking closer to him, “I haven’t touched a volleyball since high school. Are you sure you want me on your team?” 

“My two favorite people in one place, playing my favorite sport? Of course I want you there,” he replied. 

“Fine. I’ll play.” Kenma was engulfed in a hug, throwing an arm out to grab the counter, so that the two of them didn’t tumble to the floor.

“Oh,” Hinata’s smile turned devious, “I should warn you that Kageyama can get a bit competitive when it comes to volleyball.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Frankie is, of course, named after Rosalind Franklin, because Kuroo is just like _that_. 
> 
> Feel free to check out what I'm up to on other parts of the internet (I'm probably endlessly scrolling through [twitter](https://twitter.com/SoVeryAverageMe) or [tumblr](https://soveryaverageme.tumblr.com/)).


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